Configuration approach review and its implications for strategic management study

Abstract

Abstract: Traditional linear and contingent approaches are facing the challenge of dealing with increasingly complicated world. Configuration approach might help addressing this problem. Building upon the paradigm shift of organization research from universalistic to contingency and eventually to configuration approach, two configuration approaches, typology and taxonomy are identified. We also examine the operationalization and empirical issues regarding configuration approach. The paper concludes with the implications of configuration approach for strategic management, especially for Chinese strategic management studies.

Key words: Configuration approach, holistic view, organization research paradigm, Chinese context, strategic management

CLC Number:

C93-0

Gong Limin, Jiang Shisong, WeiJiang. Configuration approach review and its implications for strategic management study[J]. Science Research Management, 2014, 35(5): 44-53.

References

[1] Miller, D. Toward a new contingency approach: the search for organizational gestalts[J]. Journal of Management Studies, 1981. 18(1): 1-26. [2] Miller, D. Configurations of strategy and structure: Towards a synthesis[J]. Strategic Management Journal, 1986. 7(3): 233-249. [3] Miller, D. The Genesis of Configuration[J]. The Academy of Management Review, 1987. 12(4): 686-701. [4] Miller, D. Relating Porter's Business Strategies to Environment and Structure: Analysis and Performance Implications[J]. The Academy of Management Journal, 1988. 31(2): 280-308. [5] Miller, D. Organizational Configurations: Cohesion, Change, and Prediction[J]. Human Relations, 1990. 43(8): 771-789. [6] Miller, D. Environmental Fit versus Internal Fit[J]. Organization Science, 1992. 3(2): 159-178. [7] Miller, D. The Architecture of Simplicity[J]. The Academy of Management Review, 1993. 18(1): 116-138. [8] Miller, D. What happens after success: the perils of excellence[J]. Journal of Management Studies, 1994. 31(3): 325-358. [9] Miller, D. Configurations revisited[J]. Strategic Management Journal, 1996. 17(7): 505-512. [10] Miller, D., Friesen, P. Archetypes of Organizational Transition[J]. Administrative Science Quarterly, 1980. 25(2): 268-299. [11] Miller, D., Lant, T. K., Milliken, F. J., Korn, H. J. The Evolution of Strategic Simplicity: Exploring Two Models of Organizational Adaption[J]. Journal of management, 1996. 22(6): 863-887. [12] Meyer, A. D., Tsui, A. S., Hinings, C. R. Configurational Approaches to Organizational Analysis[J]. The Academy of Management Journal, 1993. 36(6): 1175-1195. [13] Acock, A. C., DeFleur, M. L. A Configurational Approach to Contingent Consistency in the Attitude-Behavior Relationship[J]. American Sociological Review, 1972. 37(6): 714-726. [14] Gresov, C., Drazin, R. Equifinality: Functional Equivalence in Organization Design[J]. Academy of Management Review, 1997. 22(2): 403-428. [15] Drazin, R., Van de Ven, A. H. Alternative Forms of Fit in Contingency Theory[J]. Administrative Science Quarterly, 1985. 30(4): 514-539. [16] Venkatraman, N., Walker, G. 1989. Strategic consistency and business performance: Theory and analysis[J]: Cambridge, Mass.: Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [17] O'Leary, M. B., Cummings, J. N. The spatial, temporal, and configurational characteristics of geographic dispersion in teams[J]. Mis Quarterly, 2007. 31(3): 433-452. [18] Zajac, E. J., Kraatz, M. S., Bresser, R. K. F. Modeling the Dynamics of Strategic Fit: A Normative Approach to Strategic Change[J]. Strategic Management Journal, 2000. 21(4): 429-453. [19] Baker, D. D., Cullen, J. B. Administrative Reorganization and Configurational Context: The Contingent Effects of Age, Size, and Change in Size[J]. The Academy of Management Journal, 1993. 36(6): 1251-1277. [20] Dess, G. G., Lumpkin, G. T., Covin, J. G. Entrepreneurial strategy making and firm performance: tests of contingency and configurational models[J]. Strategic Management Journal, 1997. 18(9): 677-695. [21] Keck, S. L., Tushman, M. L. Environmental and Organizational Context and Executive Team Structure[J]. Academy of Management Journal, 1993. 36(6): 1314-1344. [22] McPhee, R. D., Scott Poole, M. Organizational structures and configurations[J]. The new handbook of organizational communication: Advances in theory, research and methods, 2001. 503-543. [23] Fiss, P. C. Building better casual theories: a fuzzy set approach to typologies in organizational research[J]. Academy of Management Journal, 2011. 54(2): 393-420. [24] Ragin, C. C.Redesigning social inquiry: Fuzzy sets and beyond[M]: University of Chicago Press, 2008. [25] Short, J. C., Payne, G. T., Ketchen, D. J. Research on organizational configurations: Past accomplishments and future challenges[J]. Journal of management, 2008. 34(6): 1053-1079. [26] Doty, D. H., Glick, W. H. Typologies as a Unique Form of Theory Building: Toward Improved Understanding and Modeling[J]. Academy of Management Review, 1994. 19(2): 230-251. [27] Fiss, P. C. A set-theoretic approach to organizational configurations[J]. Academy of Management Review, 2007. 32(4): 1180-1198. [28] Stadler, B. M. R., Stadler, P. F., Wagner, G. P., Fontana, W. The topology of the possible: Formal spaces underlying patterns of evolutionary change[J]. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 2001. 213(2): 241-274. [29] Grandori, A., Furnari, S. A chemistry of organization: Combinatory analysis and design[J]. Organization Studies, 2008. 29(3): 459. [30] Rich, P. The Organizational Taxonomy: Definition and Design[J]. The Academy of Management Review, 1992. 17(4): 758-781. [31] McKelvey, B.Organizational systematics--taxonomy, evolution, classification[M]: Univ of California Pr, 1982. [32] Hambrick, D. C. Taxonomic Approaches to Studying Strategy: Some Conceptual and Methodological Issues[J]. Journal of management, 1984. 10(1): 27-41. [33] Miles, R. E., Snow, C. C. Organizational structure, strategy and process[J]. Academy of Management Review, 1978. 3: 1-17. [34] McKelvey, B., Aldrich, H. Populations, Natural Selection, and Applied Organizational Science[J]. Administrative Science Quarterly, 1983. 28(1): 101-128. [35] Miller, D., Friesen, P. H. A longitudinal study of the corporate life cycle[J]. Management Science, 1984. 1161-1183. [36] Ulrich, D., McKelvey, B. General organizational classification: An empirical test using the United States and Japanese electronics industries[J]. Organization Science, 1990. 99-118. [37] Hambrick, D. C., Schecter, S. M. Turnaround Strategies for Mature Industrial-Product Business Units[J]. The Academy of Management Journal, 1983. 26(2): 231-248. [38] Barney, J. B., Hoskisson, R. E. Strategic groups: Untested assertions and research proposals[J]. Managerial and decision Economics, 1990. 11(3): 187-198. [39] Ketchen, J. D. J., Thomas, J. B., Snow, C. C. Organizational configurations and performance: a comparison of theoretical approaches[J]. Academy of Management Journal, 1993. 36(6): 1278-1313. [40] Hatten, K. J., Hatten, M. L. Strategic groups, asymmetrical mobility barriers and contestability[J]. Strategic Management Journal, 1987. 8(4): 329-342. [41] Wiklund, J., Shepherd, D. Entrepreneurial orientation and small business performance: a configurational approach[J]. Journal of Business Venturing, 2005. 20(1): 71-91. [42] Miller, D., Friesen, P. H. Strategy-making in context: ten empirical archetypes[J]. Journal of Management Studies, 1977. 14(3): 253-280. [43] Ostroff, C., Schmitt, N. Configurations of Organizational Effectiveness and Efficiency[J]. Academy of Management Journal, 1993. 36(6): 1345-1361. [44] Whittington, R., Pettigrew, A., Peck, S., Fenton, E., Conyon, M. Change and complementarities in the new competitive landscape: A European panel study, 1992-1996[J]. Organization Science, 1999. 583-600. [45] Ketchen, D. J., Shook, C. L. The application of cluster analysis in strategic management research: an analysis and critique[J]. Strategic Management Journal, 1996. 17(6): 441-458. [46] Ragin, C. C.Fuzzy-set social science[M]: University of Chicago Press, 2000. [47] Hatten, K. J., Schendel, D. E. Heterogeneity within an industry: firm conduct in the US brewing industry, 1952-71[J]. The Journal of Industrial Economics, 1977. 26(2): 97-113. [48] Ferguson, T. D., Ketchen, J. D. J. Organizational configurations and performance: the role of statistical power in extant research[J]. Strategic Management Journal, 1999. 20(4): 385-395. [49] Ketchen, J. D. J., Combs, J. G., Russell, C. J., Shook, C., Dean, M. A., Runge, J., Lohrke, F. T., Naumann, S. E., Haptonstahl, D. E., Baker, R., Beckstein, B. A., Handler, C., Honig, H., Lamoureux, S. Organizational configurations and performance: a meta-analysis[J]. Academy of Management Journal, 1997. 40(1): 223-240. [50] Black, J. A., Boal, K. B. Strategic resources: Traits, configurations and paths to sustainable competitive advantage[J]. Strategic Management Journal, 1994. 15(S2): 131-148. [51] Venkatraman, N., Prescott, J. E. Environment-Strategy Coalignment: An Empirical Test of Its Performance Implications[J]. Strategic Management Journal, 1990. 11(1): 1-23. [52] Delery, J. E., Doty, D. H. Modes of Theorizing in Strategic Human Resource Management: Tests of Universalistic, Contingency, and Configurational Performance Predictions[J]. Academy of Management Journal, 1996. 39(4): 802-835. [53] Galunic, D. C., Eisenhardt, K. M. Renewing the strategy-structure-performance paradigm[J]. Research in organizational behavior, 1994. 16: 215-255. [54] Boswell, T., Brown, C. The Scope of General Theory[J]. Sociological methods & research, 1999. 28(2): 154-185. [55] Rumelt, R., Schendel, D., Teece, D.Fundamental issues in strategy: A research agenda[M]: Harvard Business School Press, 1994. [56] Barney, J. Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage[J]. Journal of management, 1991. 17(1): 99-120. [57] Wernerfelt, B. A resource-based view of the firm[J]. Strategic Management Journal, 1984. 5(2): 171-180. [58] Child, J. Organizational structure, environment and performance: The role of strategic choice[J]. Sociology, 1972. 6(1): 1. [59] Hannan, M. T., Freeman, J. The population ecology of organizations[J]. American Journal of Sociology, 1977. 929-964. [60] Hannan, M. T., Freeman, J. Structural inertia and organizational change[J]. American Sociological Review, 1984. 149-164. [61] Tsui, A. S. Contributing to global management knowledge: A case for high quality indigenous research[J]. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 2004. 21(4): 491-513. [62] 武亚军. 中国本土新兴企业的战略双重性:基于华为、联想和海尔实践的理论探索[J]. 管理世界, 2009(12): 120-136. [63] 江诗松, 龚丽敏, 魏江. 转型经济背景下后发企业的能力追赶:一个共演模型[J]. 管理世界, 2011(4): 122-137. [64] Hill, S. A., Birkinshaw, J. Strategy-organization configurations in corporate venture units: Impact on performance and survival[J]. Journal of Business Venturing, 2008. 23(4): 423-444. [65] Christensen, C.The innovator's dilemma: when new technologies cause great firms to fail[M]: Harvard Business Press, 1997. [66] 龚丽敏, 江诗松. 产业集群龙头企业的成长演化:商业模式视角[J]. 科研管理, 2012,33(7): 137-145.